Prayers for firefighters, families

For some it's the adrenaline rush. For some it's the camaraderie of being part of a team that's making a difference. Maybe it's the money (for the ones who get paid).

Whatever it is that prompts a firefighter to put on his or her Nomex fire-resistant clothes and lace up their work boots and grab a Pulaski to head out on a fireline, we salute them. We say thank you for the sweat you leave in the ashes, the calluses, the days without baths, the weeks of nostrils filled with smoke.

We trust that you've done your best. That when the smoke clears, you will stand proudly and shake our hands, knowing what you do makes a difference.

Unfortunately, in recent weeks, we've been reminded that not everyone will be standing at the end. Sometimes, the sacrifice is so much bigger than the hazard pay and overtime could ever compensate for. It's bigger than the thousands of acres they were fighting for.

Our thoughts and prayers are with those who are fighting fires that are threatening livelihoods and homes. We pray for rain, for safety, less wind, more water, enough help, positive attitudes and productive teamwork. We pray for what the fires have taken—hope, dreams, futures, history—and for the people whose hearts won't be healed with the green-up in the spring.